Bella Thompson is known as “Bella Brave” to her 6.2 million followers on TikTok, but the 9-year-old also has a second name: “I'm Super Sparkle!”, a reference to her superhero alter-ego.
It's a vibrant nickname for the TikTok sensation, whose upbeat spirit has endeared her to millions despite multiple life-threatening diagnoses. Bella's mother, Kyla, 40, chronicles the couple's adventures on TikTok as @kylact. “Bella knows that courage is a superpower,” Kyla says. “That's all she's ever known. She's always been my superhero.” Of her alter-ego, Bella adds, “She reminds people that they're perfect just the way they are.”
Bella is the size of a 2-year-old, weighing less than 30 pounds and standing just under 3 feet tall. Kayla says her daughter has never been insecure about her looks. “Bella has been full of confidence since she was born,” her mother says. “She's never had self-esteem issues about the way she looks, but because she has dwarfism, I'm always on guard.”
Kayla Thomson | @kylact
Kayla knows people can be quick to judge. “Bella edits the videos,” she says. “If there's something she doesn't want to show, she tells me. She never looks at her face and says, 'Your face is puffy, don't post that.' Bella doesn't care!”
Born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada in 2013, Bella was diagnosed with Hirschsprung's disease, a rare intestinal disease that affects the intestines. She also has severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Bella spent more than 1,000 days in the hospital after her birth (Kayla stopped counting a year ago), underwent nearly 30 surgeries, including a bone marrow transplant in 2015, and survived four septic shock infections, two of which nearly took her life.
Now Bella faces another big hurdle: She's just been relisted as a candidate for an intestine transplant; her doctor and top surgeons in Canada called it off in May as too risky, but ultimately decided it was her only chance at longevity. “Bella knows that with her new intestines she'll be able to eat whatever she wants,” Kayla says, “and she knows that it means a new quality of life for her.”
Kayla Thomson | @kylact
Every day, Kyla tries to create fun memories for her daughter, which she often shares on TikTok. “Bella is like, 'Let's do it! Let's make a video today,'” says Kyla, who is also mom to 4-year-old Waylon. “She thinks people love her personality, and she wants everyone to know her passion and her joy. She just wants to spread joy to other kids and everyone.”
The family, including her father, Lyle, 37, who works in land management in addition to running the family tree farm, will need to be within Wi-Fi range to enjoy the final weeks of summer. “You never know when you're going to get the call that they have the perfect gut for Bella,” Kayla says.
When she's away from her home in Saskatchewan, she travels in her 30-foot trailer, visiting relatives, resting by the lake, and building sandcastles by the water. Lately, Bella has been visibly swollen, worrying her followers. Kayla explains, “We all have protein in our veins, but when you have a gut disease like Bella does, you lose protein. Bella now gets a four-hour protein infusion every two weeks at a nearby hospital.”
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Bella remains as optimistic as ever. “My hero is Barbie,” she told People magazine. “We're alike. She's blonde and I'm blonde.” She says she's hoping to add to her family this summer. Besides her cat, Roger, and feline siblings Kat Sajak and Vana Meow, Bella says, “I want a bunny. A little dwarf bunny like me.”
Kayla says she and Lyle haven't told their young daughter about the worst-case scenario. (The transplant procedure, if it goes ahead, is extremely risky.) “Bella has always been very positive,” Kayla says, “so I don't want to scare her. She's wise beyond her years and knows what an intestinal transplant will do for her. She knows she'll be given medication to make her sleepy. She's still naive about survival. I'm waiting to scare her, but Lyle and I are prepared to answer any questions she may have.”
Bella's mantra, which she frequently shares on TikTok, is, “No matter where I go or what I'm going through, I bring my courage, style and fun!”
